Can I use a French driving license in the US ?
Asked by
Dwaddzy (
31
)
May 9th, 2010
With French friends, we are intending to make a road trip across the USA this summer. We were thinking about renting some van, but what are the conditions for foreigners driving in the US ? Can I simply use my French license ?
Are there any national requirements or does it only depends on the state you’re driving in ?
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5 Answers
International driver’s license is not required
An international driver’s license is not required in the US. You can usually rent a car and drive with a valid driver’s license from your home country. An international license may be helpful in convincing the car rental agent that you really have a valid license when they cannot recognize or understand your license. Some rental agencies will not rent cars to anyone less than 25 years old. Other agencies will rent to young people but will charge a higher fee. Some agencies will not rent to anyone over 71 years old. Be sure to check on these restrictions if you are in these age categories.
I was able to rent a car in Paris and drive to Marseilles, Canes and finally Nice using my US driver’s license. I would hope we Americans would treat our French guests just as well as France treated me. I could easily live out my life in Nice. Nice is nice.
You should get an international license from your regional Automobile Club. They are inexpensive and will be readily accepted at car rental agencies.
Save yourself some grief and just do it. It’s easy.
If your liscense is valid in France, it’s valid here.
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